Faculty and student volunteers welcome more than 1,500 athletes and supporters to campus.
In anticipation of the upcoming 2008 Special Olympics Ontario Spring Games at Durham College, the largest-ever Healthy Athletes Expo and Leadership Conference saw more than 1,500 athletes and supporters in attendance at the Oshawa campus recently, where various screenings and other services helped athletes improve their health and well-being.
In addition to registered athletes who stayed on campus for the three-day event, the Healthy Athletes Expo also welcomed hundreds of persons aged six to 21 with intellectual and developmental disabilities from the Durham Region Catholic and public school boards, and hundreds more who were affiliated with Community Living associations. In total, more than 1,500 participants took part in the expo.
Sandy Odrowski, a Dental Assisting program co-ordinator in the college's School of Health and Community Services, played a lead role in planning the event on campus and was a volunteer at the expo. She noted that many of the 180 Durham College and UOIT volunteers who worked with the participants were students who say they are now better prepared than ever to enter the work world.
"Many of these volunteers are the health-care professionals of tomorrow," she explained. "At Durham College, the student experience comes first, and by volunteering at the Healthy Athletes Expo, these students have learned things that aren't found in books or lectures. They pulled together as a team, made new friends, and for some, their experiences at this event will be the beginning of a new chapter in their lives."
Dental Hygiene student and volunteer Catherine Fitzgerald spent 25 hours assisting with dental screenings and mouthguard fittings and was one of many students who found her time with the participants both rewarding and inspirational.
"This was the first time that I had worked with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and it was awesome," she said. "The athletes and other participants were so genuinely appreciative of everything we did for them. It was a very positive experience, and I have already made plans to participate in next year's Healthy Athletes Expo in London, Ontario."
The Healthy Athletes Expo is designed to support existing athletes and also encourage others to participate in future Special Olympics. During the event, participants attended clinics such as Fit Feet, FUNfitness, Healthy Hearing, Health Promotion, Opening Eyes, and Special Smiles. The volunteers worked alongside doctors, optometrists, podiatrists, and dentists who donated their time to provide athletes with customized mouthguards, recommendations for insoles, orthotics and footwear, and other valuable services and information. Student volunteers also welcomed the visitors as they arrived on campus in three dozen buses, worked on registration desks, and acted as college ambassadors throughout the event.
Almost 900 athletes, coaches and trainers will take part in the 2008 Games, with power lifting, basketball, swimming, five- and 10-pin bowling all being contested. It is the first time Durham Region has been awarded the provincial event, with Durham College the official host site. The opening and closing ceremonies, along with the power lifting and basketball events will all be hosted at the college.
The 2008 Spring Games will serve as a qualifying competition for the 2010 National Special Olympics Summer Games.